


Staring Across Barcelona

by allwaswell16



Series: The Library Universe [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, American Harry Styles, American Louis, Artist Louis, Blow Jobs, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, Librarian Harry, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Masturbation, New York City, POV Harry Styles, Sequel, Smut, Travel, Vacation, barcelona, fountains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-07 22:20:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16417067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allwaswell16/pseuds/allwaswell16
Summary: From his first day working at the New York Public Library, Louis has pushed Harry’s buttons. Now that they’re in love and living together in Harry’s tiny NYC apartment, he pushes his buttons in a much more enjoyable way. Harry is ecstatic to go on their first romantic vacation together to Barcelona to see the sights and all the amazing art. It’s also the perfect time for him to propose to Louis. However, everything may not go quite according to Harry's plans…A sequel toStaring Across the Roomfrom The Library Universe.





	Staring Across Barcelona

**Author's Note:**

  * For [soxgirl0545](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soxgirl0545/gifts).



> Thank you so much, [greatpemberly](http://greatpemberly.tumblr.com/)! I hope you enjoy this continuation of The Library Universe. I am forever grateful for all your encouragement with your lovely comments on my fics over the years. It was lovely to get to write this story for you and revisit these characters to see how things worked out between them. <3
> 
> And a massive thank you to [fullonlarrie](http://fullonlarrie.tumblr.com/) for organizing such a wonderful idea! 
> 
> You can find the fic post for this fic [here!](http://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/179484288206/staring-across-barcelona-by-allwaswell16-e-7k)

Harry stands just inside the doorway of the New York Public Library’s Children’s Center, clutching the lapels of his boyfriend’s jacket, and peeks over his shoulder to see if any of their co-workers are nearby. Louis wears a smug grin and raises one eyebrow at him, but he stands patiently waiting for his kiss. It’s one of the few times Louis is patient for anything, but he seems to understand Harry’s desire to keep their private lives private.

Well, as private as possible in their work environment, which is to say, not that private.

As soon as Louis’ lips press to his own, he wishes they spent a little more time in their bed this morning.

“Hey, lovebirds, you’re blocking the entrance.”

Niall’s voice has effectively ended the moment. How long had they stood here kissing anyway? Harry sheepishly stands aside, letting Niall into the building.

“Thanks a lot, Neil,” Louis calls after him. “You ruined my goodbye kiss.”

“You work in the same building!” Niall calls out over his shoulder as the door shuts behind him.

They walk into the library hand in hand, and Emily, the head children’s librarian and also Harry’s boss, coos at them from her desk.

Harry blushes and adjusts his glasses. “Emily, we’ve been together for over a year. How are you still this thrilled about it?”

“Oh, Harry, I had long given up on you, and then Louis swept in on his white horse and carried you off into the sunset.” She gives them a starry eyed look and a long sigh.

Harry narrows his eyes. “Have you been spending too much time in the Regency romance section?”

This time it’s Emily’s turn to blush. “Maybe.”

“Also, Louis did _not_ sweep me off my feet. You’re romanticizing how we met. Well, he probably tried to trip me once or twice.”

“Rude,” Louis replies. “I would never trip anyone holding baked goods.”

Harry tilts his head in acquiescence. “Fine, but we started dating because you were a pain in my--”

“Too much information!” Emily exclaims, covering her ears dramatically. “I don’t need the details of your sex life at work. We’re _professionals_.”

“Um, am I interrupting something, or--”

He and Louis both jump at the sound of Liam’s voice. Even Emily startles in her chair and knocks over a stack of Mo Willems books off her desk.

“Nope!” Louis says, backing away in the direction of the administration offices where his desk is located. “Just heading in to work, boss!”

Liam watches Louis scurry away curiously as though he isn’t quite sure what to make of what he’s just walked in on. “I just wanted to check in with you, Emily, and make sure you’re staffed enough with Harry out next week on vacation. Even without Louis, I can spare staff if you need anyone. We don’t have anything pressing exhibition wise on the agenda for a few weeks.”

“Oh, we’ll manage,” Emily answers. “But if you want to send over Zayn or Niall for the week, I’m sure the mommies and nannies at toddler story time wouldn’t mind some eye candy around the place.”

“To be fair we do have a few daddies who bring in kids,” Harry points out.

“You don’t think they’d enjoy the eye candy?”

“Touché́.”

///

“Lou, I know you think I won’t need any bow ties in Spain, but--”

“No, you won’t, Hazza!” Louis calls from the kitchen. “Unless you want to bring one for--other purposes.”

“What other purposes can there be for bow--oh.” Harry clears his throat and feels his cheeks heating a bit. “Not really long enough to uh--you know, tie my wrists very well or anything. Well, unless I brought two.”

Louis appears in the doorway waggling his eyebrows, his mouth full of oatmeal cookie. “Yay bu yah cuh wahr juhs dah.”

Harry brushes the cookie crumbs that Louis just sprayed on him and mentally notes that he’ll have to vacuum up the crumbs when he’s done packing. “What was that?”

Louis swallows. “I said, yeah but you could wear just that.”

Harry’s no longer following and already moving to go get the dustpan and broom. “Wear just what?”

Louis’ hand slips around his waist, effectively keeping him from leaving the room. “Wear just the bow tie for me, Hazza. I think that might be a good reason to bring just the one. Would be a very nice sight to find you in bed wearing just the tie. Your glasses still on maybe, but your eyes closed as you stroke yourself thinking about me and what I’m going to do when I find you.”

Harry whimpers a bit at this image. He takes two bow ties and stuffs them into his suitcase. He’ll repack them properly later. Then, he turns and tackles Louis onto their bed. Louis attempts to kiss him back enthusiastically, and Harry gets a mouthful of his homemade oatmeal cookies. He splutters and sits up, still straddling Louis.

“Sorry,” Louis grins from the bed and moans. “But your cookies are _so_ good, Hazza.”

“Bet you say that to all the boys,” Harry jokes, nuzzling his face into Louis’ neck. There are still a few crumbs there. He’ll have to shake out the comforter.

“Nah, only want your cookies now, don’t I?” Louis says, a hitch in his voice. “Won’t ever want anyone else’s ever.”

Harry hopes they’re not just talking about cookies because there’s an silver, engraved engagement ring hidden behind the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink that he needs to remember to pack for their trip. He’s poured over his Barcelona guide books endlessly looking for just the right place to propose to Louis.

He knows no one but Niall really expects Harry to propose, and that’s only because he told him a month ago when he picked out the ring. He and Louis have only been together for a year, and Harry has a reputation for being a bit--cautious. He’s ready to throw caution to the wind for Louis, just as he has since the day Louis kissed him in the library storage room, because to be honest, Louis getting under his skin has been the absolute best thing that’s ever happened to him.

He can hardly wait until he can officially call Louis his fiancé. Just the thought of it, of calling Louis _his_ , has him whipping off his clothes so quickly that he doesn’t even bother to fold them first.

He attaches his lips to the dips of Louis’ collarbones, when he hears Louis moan, “Hazza--I gotta--pack still. Haven’t--packed a thing yet.”

Harry sits up atop him again and snorts. “As if you weren’t planning on asking me to do it for you in the first place.”

Louis grins and waggles his eyebrows. “I pay well for your services though, don’t I?”

“In what? Blow jobs?”

“Amongst other things,” Louis says just as he flips Harry over onto his back.

///

“I can’t believe I had to give the taxi driver directions,” Harry grumbles. “Good thing I have a fairly good mental map of Barcelona for someone who’s never been here.”

“Did you have to pick a hotel in a plaza where you can’t drive a car into it?” Louis mutters as they drag their suitcases through the plaza towards their hotel.

“It’s the Barri Gotic, Louis. People weren’t really worried about being able to drive cars to this plaza when the streets surrounding it were designed,” Harry retorts.

Louis sniffs. “No kidding. I can practically reach out my arms and touch the buildings on both sides of this so-called street. And what the hell is the Barri Gotic?”

He gasps and stops abruptly, causing Louis to stumble into his suitcase. “Didn’t you read any of the things I sent you on Barcelona?”

“Um--well, there was just--a lot. I don’t remember quite everything you sent.”

Harry narrows his eyes. He’d bet a year’s supply of green tea that Louis has only looked at the art links he sent and ignored the rest. “Barri Gotic is the Gothic Quarter in the oldest part of the city.”

Louis’ face brightens. “So where the Picasso museum is then?”

Harry feels the corners of his mouth twitch despite himself. “Yes, Lou. Where the Picasso museum is.”

They find the small entrance to their hotel and realize there are about twenty stairs to drag their suitcases up. Harry looks hopefully around for an elevator, but there’s none to be found.

“You can not be serious,” Louis grumbles.

“It’s part of its charm,” Harry says as he grunts, hauling his suitcase up the steps.

At the top of the stairs is a tiny reception desk and a man with a wide smile waiting to greet them. “Buenos dias! Welcome to Barcelona! You two are my early check in, yes? Tomlinson and Styles?”

Harry is relieved at the man’s excellent English. No need to break out his terrible Spanish just yet. “Yes, that’s us.”

“Lovely! Room eleven is yours. But first let me give you this map.” Harry makes a gesture to indicate his phone’s gps, but the concierge waves it away. “I want to give you my own favorite places to send you!”

He unfolds the map that’s he’s clearly marked his favorite places on. He points to an area that Harry recognizes as where the Magic Fountain is. “This is where you’ll find--”

“Font Magica!” Harry exclaims.

The concierge smiles, his grin toothy. “Si! It is! And here is where--”

“La Sagrada Familia!”

“Yes and here--”

“Parc Guell!”

Louis slaps his hand on the desk. “My boyfriend is a huge nerd and memorized the map. Can I have the key to the room? I’m exhausted.”

“Louis!”

Lous shrugs. “What? I don’t need a map. I’ve got you.”

The concierge presses a key into Louis’ hand with a sympathetic look. “I understand. He’s ruining my fun as well.”

“Heyyyy!” He calls after Louis who is already heading down the hallway.

When they get inside their small, fairly sparse room, Louis face plants onto the bed. Harry heads over to the window and looks out at the charming view of the plaza below.

“Lou, you’ve got to see this! This place is worth it just for the view.”

Louis turns his face in his direction at least though he doesn’t open his eyes. “Should have known that’s what you’d want. It’s why we’ve got the apartment we do, anyway.”

“I thought you liked _our_ apartment,” Harry huffs out.

Louis opens his eyes though he keeps his head on the bed. “I do love our apartment, Hazza. I’m just saying it’s clear you picked it for the view and not the square footage. We sleep in a lofted bed.”

“I thought you liked our bed! You said it was like an adult bunk bed!”

Louis laughs into the pillow. “I do, I do! I swear it. I just think sometimes it would be nice if you had a bigger kitchen. A little more space just in general. We could afford something bigger further out.”

Harry chews on the inside of his cheek. It’s not like he hasn’t thought of all these things before. He definitely would like more kitchen space. They _are_ spending a lot of their income on rent right now, especially since Logan, his old roommate, has officially moved in with his girlfriend. “Well--I suppose it’s something to consider. When we come back from vacation, anyway.”

All this talk has made him forget that he had planned to propose as soon as they got to their hotel room. The plan was to lure Louis to the window and then drop to one knee.

“I know we said we’d just plow through our jet lag, but are you sure I can’t sleep for a few hours?” Louis asks, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Harry stares at him, this man he wants to marry and be with forever. His hair is ruffled, and his face has a day’s worth of beard growing and Harry knows how it would feel against his skin. He lets his gaze travel down over Louis’ amazing body, letting his eyes linger on the delicious curves of his boyfriend’s ass.

The proposal can wait until the proper moment. Plan A didn’t work out, but he can wait for Plan B. He walks over to the bed and sits on it, letting his fingers travel over Louis’ shoulder and back and then up under his shirt to the soft skin beneath. He lets them continue to travel just under the waistband of his grey sweatpants and boxer brief and pulls them down just beneath the cheeks of his ass.

He can hear Louis’ breathing quicken. “Whatcha doing, Harry?”

“I think I know a cure for jet lag.”

“Is that right?” Louis says.

“Mmmm. Turn over and let me see if it works.”

Louis turns over, a silly grin on his face, his cock peeking out just a bit from between his pants and his t-shirt. “I’m willing to give it a shot.”

“Good, good,” Harry says as he rucks up his shirt a bit more and begins pressing kisses against Louis’ belly and up his chest.

“You’re going in the wrong direction,” Louis whines just before Harry reaches his nipples. “Ohhhhh.”

“Just getting you worked up a bit,” Harry says as he concentrates on the small, pebbled peaks before him. He wants to sigh at how pretty this boy is. And he’s _his_ boy. All his. He can feel Louis’ hardness against this thigh now. “Guess you get worked up quickly.”

“I do when I’ve got you with your hands and tongue all over me. God, Hazza, glad I picked someone who thinks about the details.” Louis threads his fingers through Harry’s curls, and now it’s his turn to whimper when he feels the slight tug on his hair. Louis is pulling him up towards his face though, and he scoots up a bit to capture Louis’ pink lips with his own.

He kisses him thoroughly in just the way that Louis likes best. Soft at first, lips just brushing each other, and then more firmly as they press their bodies together. He won’t stop until Louis is panting and asking for more.

“Hazza--your clothes,” Louis whispers against his lips. “And your glasses.”

“Don’t need to take them off,” he says simply as he kisses his way back down Louis’ body.

Louis’ shirt is now hiked up to his armpits, and Harry decides to go ahead and tug off his sweatpants when his lips reach his navel. He manages to do it without stopping the path his tongue has taken until he finds himself between Louis’ parted thighs and takes him into his mouth. Louis jerks forward at the sensation and lets out a low moan.

Harry works on creating a steady rhythm between the way he’s taking Louis in and out of his mouth and his hand down his own sweatpants wrapped around his cock. The friction of it feels good, and it amazes him how much he likes making Louis come. He concentrates on his tongue finding the spot on the underside of Louis’ cock that makes him fist the comforter in his hands and writhe beneath him.

“Harry, Hazza--gonna--”

Louis comes just as Harry speeds up his own hand until he’s coming into his pants. He flops down beside Louis on the bed. “I’m going to need to find a laundromat.”

///

Harry takes out his small travel journal with their itinerary written in it neatly and texts a photo of it to Louis.

“Why are you texting me when I’m just in the bathroom?” Louis calls out.

“Because it’s our schedule. Figured you might want to look at it!”

“Hazza, you yo how I feeyo abou schedyos,” Louis says as he walks out of the bathroom, his toothbrush still in his mouth.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Louis goes back in to spit. “I said, you know how I feel about schedules!”

“You just like to pretend you don’t like schedules,” Harry scoffs. “I once saw you put together an entire art exhibition in a week, don’t forget.”

“Aw, how could I forget? That’s when you fell in love with me!” Louis says, leaping onto the bed and causing Harry’s travel journal to fall to the floor.

Harry snorts. “If by annoying me to death was me falling in love with you, sure.”

“Aren’t you ever going to forgive me for eating Mo Willem’s cupcake?” Louis turns his lips into an exaggerated pout.

“No. He never got to taste my baking. He’ll never know what he missed.” Harry picks up the journal off the floor. “I will only forgive you if you look at and follow this travel itinerary.”

Louis sighs dramatically. “Guess I’ll never have your forgiveness then.”

“Louis!”

“Fine. Let’s have a look at what you’ve got on there for today. I think your blow job cure for jet lag really worked.”

Harry can’t quite keep the grin off his face. He picks up the travel journal off the floor and points to item one on the list. “Explore La Rambla”

///

They’ve barely made it onto the large, tree lined boulevard before Louis stops dead in his tracks. Harry stops too and admires the way the middle of the street is for pedestrians while the cars and buses drive by on either side of them. But then, he realizes Louis has stopped not to admire the boulevard, but to gawk at the street performers.

“Lou, we have street performers in New York, too. Come on.” Harry nudges him to start walking again, but Louis heads straight for someone dressed in an Alien costume. Harry’s never even seen the movie Alien, but he recognizes the character. It is quite grotesquely intricate. Harry honestly doesn’t care to get too close though. A bit creepy, really. Louis has moved on to another performer though.

“This is outrageous!” Louis exclaims. “Hazza, come look!”

This one looks like a bronze fairy statue of some sort. At first glance, she truly looks like a beautifully rendered statue. “Huh, they really are sort of a step up from the ones at home, aren’t they?”

But Louis is gone again. He’s further down the street with his phone out, taking photos of a series of performers in a white cast of bicyclists frozen in the street. “The absolute artistry is incredible!”

Harry shrugs and gives in. His boyfriend, hopefully future fianceé, obviously went to art school, and he’s planned for a bit of wiggle room in his itinerary. He finally lures Louis away from the performers with the promise of food.

“There’s an amazing market here called La Boqueria. I think you’re going to love it!”

“A market? Really, Hazza? That sounds more like your kind of thing. Not that I’m complaining.”

“There’s a restaurant at the back of the cafe that Rick Steves’ guidebook says is worth trying, so if you want to eat, this is your kind of place, too.”

“Is that a fucking octopus in that bucket? Holy fucking shit, Hazza! What kind of place have you brought me to?”

Harry ignores him and sees a sign for fresh juices. Hmmm...he’ll have to make sure he stops back later for one. They wind their way through the bright stalls of food in the huge market. It’s bustling and colorful and amazing, and Louis has to finally drag him away from a vendor with pastries and chocolates. He’s fairly certain this is what heaven looks like.

The restaurant is also amazing, and they people watch as they eat paella and drink red wine. Harry could get used to having a bottle of wine for lunch. It’s been brought to them the way water would be brought to a table in New York. The host mentions that if they come back Saturday night they have live music, and Harry quickly jots that down as a possible addition to the itinerary.

Louis rolls his eyes when the travel journal makes an appearance. “Come on, Haz. Let’s be a little spontaneous.”

“I am being spontaneous! I just wrote down something that wasn’t planned before!”

Louis shakes his head, but Harry can see the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eyes and thinks maybe it’s okay that he’s planned this trip within an inch of its life. But also maybe he could stand to be a little more spontaneous. “Okay, so what would you like to do then?”

“Well, I really like this street. Can we just--wander around the rest of the day?”

Harry smiles at the look of excitement on Louis’ face at the thought of roaming La Rambla. “That sounds pretty good actually.”

He glances again at his travel journal and has a brief moment of regret when he notices he’s got the Biblioteca de Catalunya listed for today. He’d thought maybe a library would have been a nice symbolic place for him to propose. The ring box in his pocket feels a little heavier, but it’s fine. There’s always Plan C.

///

That evening as they eat tapas on a toothpick honor system in a bar near their hotel, Harry admits to himself that exploring La Rambla today was pretty amazing. He’d let himself forget the notebook for at least the rest of today while they peeked in at newsstands, caged bird and flower stalls, tarot readers, and musicians, on the long, historic avenue that stretches through the center of Barcelona and leads to the sea.

The view from the top of the Columbus monument had been spectacular even as Louis teased him about picking out the sights from memory. They’d strolled through magnificent plazas with Gaudi commissioned lamp posts. Their day has been splendidly charming.

As they walk back to their hotel in a light mist of rain, Harry thinks about how their first day in Barcelona could only have gone better if Louis was now wearing an engagement ring. He’s sure Plan C tomorrow will do just as well.

///

“Hazza?” Louis moans from the pillow as Harry’s alarm goes off at eight o’clock. “Are you fucking serious right now? Turn that thing off and go back to sleep.”

Harry sits bolt upright in bed and feels on the bedside table for his glasses. “Lou, no. We have to keep going! We can’t let the jet lag win!”

“I don’t care about winning. Let the jet lag have this one.”

“No, absolutely not. Come on,” Harry says as he pinches Louis’ ass.

Louis raises his head a tiny bit and cracks open just one, brilliant blue eye. “Do I get another jet lag cure?”

Harry can’t help the way his nose scrunches up at the sleepy, gorgeous boy in his bed. “Maybe. Let me brush my teeth first.” He scooches off the bed.

Louis groans. “Why would you brush your teeth before you suck me off anyway?”

“Because, Lou!” Harry calls from the bathroom. “I want to kiss you, too!”

A rumpled Louis pushes into the small bathroom with a yawn. “Better brush mine, too, I guess. If you want kisses from somewhere other than my dick.”

“Lovely,” Harry snorts.

“You like it,” Louis scoffs as he squirts toothpaste on his toothbrush.

“I do,” Harry admits. He gets in another pinch as Louis squeals, spitting toothpaste all over the mirror.

Harry climbs back into bed when he has a genius thought. He strips off his boxer briefs quickly and opens the drawer in which he knows he placed his bow ties. He could tie one in his sleep after wearing one nearly every workday for years. He makes quick work of it and lies on the bed, nude but for the bow tie and his glasses. He strokes himself, thinking about how good it feels to wake up next to Louis, to vacation with Louis, to spend his life with Louis.

“Holy shit.”

Harry hadn’t even realized he’d shut his eyes, but now they fly open at the sound of Louis’ voice. Louis is standing just outside the bathroom with his mouth hanging open. It takes Louis a few seconds to act, but then, he dives between Harry’s legs and prowls up in between them on all fours, spreading his legs even further apart.

“I think there might be more than one way to cure jet lag.”

///

“So what’s on the agenda for today?” Louis asks as they eat churros con chocolate for breakfast. “God, this stuff is amazing.”

“It really is,” Harry says as he dips his churros in the thick, sweet liquid. “And I’m surprised you want to know the plan. Or is it just so you can shoot it down?”

Louis gasps and puts a hand to his chest. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I love to follow your plans, Haz!”

“Oh, shut up,” Harry snorts.

“Seriously though, Hazza. I know you’ve put a lot of time into the planning of this trip. I’m sure you’ve got amazing things for us to do on your itinerary over there that you’re dying to tell me about.”

Harry knew he loved him for a reason. “Okay, well today is our Old City day! So I was thinking a walk through the Barri Gotic and the Cathedral of Barcelona and the City History Museum andddddd _the Picasso Museum!”_

“Yes! I knew I loved you for a reason. Glad you didn’t make me wait long to go to it.”

“Don’t worry, Lou. Barcelona is a great place for artists like you. I can’t wait for you to get to see how much Gaudi has influenced parts of the city.”

Louis shrugs. “I just make installations for a library, Haz.”

Harry’s heart tugs at him a bit. “Lou. You’re the most talented man, I know!”

“Haz--”

“No! Don’t pretend you’re not an artist, Lou, just because you have a day job. It’s still a job in your field, which is more than a lot of artists can say. And I’ve seen all your paintings, so just stop. We’re going to see every inch of art in this city for my boyfriend who is an _artist_.”

Louis’ cheeks are a little pink, and Harry desperately wants to kiss the chocolate off the corner of his mouth. And really, why not? Harry leans in and kisses him, making sure to kiss off any remaining chocolate. “Mmmm...you taste even more delicious than usual, Lou.”

“It’s the churros.”

///

They spend the day walking hand in hand through the Barri Gotic, exploring the area around the cathedral that twists in tangled, narrow streets. They walk past courtyards and grand squares, schoolyards and Art Nouveau storefronts, antique shops and churches.

They marvel at the Roman ruins far below the city in the City History Museum and the geese in the cloisters of the Cathedral of Barcelona honk a warning at them. Harry bemoans the use of battery operated candles to “light.”

“I mean, honestly, Lou. What’s next? Will Notre Dame have battery candles?”

And then, as they wind their way through the medieval streets, there it is before them--the Picasso Museum. He can feel Louis’ anticipation beside him as he fiddles with the hem of his shirt. Harry has allowed for plenty of time to explore the collections of Picasso’s early work when he lived in Barcelona. Listening to Louis speak about art is one of Harry’s favorite pastimes, and they enjoy a splendid afternoon together amidst the art. And yet, none of the moments seem like the right one to propose. He’s not sure why, but he listens to his instincts and keeps the ring hidden away in his pocket.

“You know what was left out, Haz?” Louis asks as they walk back into the Barcelona sun.

“Hmm?”

“No mention of Baya Mahieddine. She greatly influenced his art in the 1940s. We just went to that exhibition at NYU of her work a month ago.”

“Ah, yeah, didn’t see anything about her in there.”

Louis continues to ramble on about the art as they weave their way back towards their hotel. Maybe Plan D will go better tomorrow.

///

The next morning, Harry begins packing the backpack with towels and sunscreen for their beach day and waits for the moment it clicks.

“You brought us matching swim shorts?”

“Yep.”

“Is this my punishment for not packing my own suitcase?”

“Yep.”

Harry stumbles as he puts his leg into one side of his royal blue shorts with a small black turtle pattern.

“And these are the only ones you packed for me?”

“Yep.”

Louis sighs and whips off his underwear and starts slipping on his own turtle print swim shorts. “I guess I should just be happy mine are a different color.”

“Yep.”

They head towards Barceloneta on the Metro. Harry knows he’s headed in the right direction of the beach when he sees someone with a surfboard enter into their compartment. The pristine beach is lovely and not too crowded today as it’s not quite warm enough to swim in Harry’s opinion, but they spend the morning laying out in the sun on lounge chairs and dipping their toes into the Mediterranean Sea. Louis insists on having his picture taken with Frank Gehry’s giant fish sculpture that stands watch over the sand.

He can’t help but smile at how Louis likes having his photo taken with sculptures. He secretly finds it incredibly adorable.

They eat bowls of gazpacho at a beachside cafe after their morning on the beach, which Louis ends up detesting.

“The soup is cold, Haz.” Louis’ nose crinkles in disgust.

“It’s supposed to be though, Lou. I told you that before you ordered it.”

Louis shrugs. “Still disgusting either way.”

They spend the afternoon in Montjuic. Harry isn’t thrilled to have to take a funicular up to the top of the cliffs overlooking the city, but it’s the only way up without splurging on a taxi.

Louis takes his hand and pulls him in close. “I know you hate heights, Hazza.”

“It’s okay. Go enjoy the view.”

Louis looks into his eyes. “I like the view right here just fine.”

They spend time in the castle overlooking the view and then head to the Fundacio Joan Miro to admire the art. Harry feels his nerves pick up a bit after dinner when they head towards Font Magica, the Magic Fountain show.

Surely, Proposal Plan D will work. The fountain show looked lovely in the YouTube videos Harry watched, music and choreographed lights and water. They sit at the edge of the fountain and wait for the show to start.

“Uh, Haz?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are we the only ones here?”

Harry glances around. There’s one other couple standing on the other side of the fountain. “Hmmm...do I have the wrong time or--” He starts searching through his travel journal for the information he recorded about it.

“Hazza, I don’t think they have a performance tonight.” Louis looks sympathetic as he shows him the schedule he’s just pulled up on his phone. Louis must see how devastated he is. “It’s okay. We can come back a different night, right?”

Harry just nods as he starts leading Louis away from the fountains. So much for Plan D.

///

Today is what Harry has most been looking forward to--Modernisme Day. All Gaudi, all day. He just knows how much Louis is going to love everything, too, which just adds to his excitement. The only thing he was looking forward to more was getting engaged to Louis, but surely today there will be just the right moment. He looks through his travel journal and decides that when they reach Parc Guell, he’ll find a mosaic bench somewhere for them to sit and ask Louis to marry him.

Plan E it is.

They head towards the Eixample neighborhood and the entire place shimmers with colorful, flowing designs of the Catalan Art Nouveau movement many of which have been designed by Antoni Gaudi. Leaves and blooms and curves of color decorate doorways and entrances and facades with glass and tile and iron. The fanciful nature of every building makes Harry’s heart leap.

Louis seems to be equally awed, and he can’t seem to contain his excited impressions of Casa Mila.

”The balconies are like seaweed against the waves of the white stone walls!”

“There are no straight walls anywhere in this building, Hazza!”

“These tiled chimneys are beautiful! I can’t believe people think they look threatening. I want to live on this roof forever!”

Casa Batlo gets a similar response.

“Gaudi is a damn genius!”

“I can see why the bottom floor is known as the House of Bones, but the rest is like a giant dragon!”

“Look at all this gorgeous mosaic tile!”

They walk the Block of Discord and admire even more Modernisme architecture, and then, they walk a bit further towards Gaudi’s greatest ongoing masterpiece--La Sagrada Familia. Perhaps the most famous emblem of the city, the still incomplete church spires rise in colorful towers to the sky.

“We have to come back,” Louis declares. “I have to see this church when it’s complete. Promise me, we’ll come back, Harry.”

Harry feels a lump in his throat at the implication they’ll be back years from now. “Of course, Lou. We’ll come back as many times as you like.”

Parc Guell is the most lovely ending to their day imaginable. They stroll the vast park with its twisting paths, admiring the unbelievably beautiful mosaics of the serpentine bench. They have someone take their photograph, and Harry feels the tug of the ring in his pocket. But for some reason he hesitates, and the moment falls away from him. Louis insists on taking photos with the dragon fountains that guard the entrance to the park, just as Harry knew he would.

Harry laughs and takes as many photos of Louis as he could ask for, but part of him is so frustrated with himself that he has missed out on yet another moment. Being spontaneous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

///

Today’s the day. Harry’s going to make it so. Today, Plan F is going into effect. Or is it Plan G? He consults his travel journal and sees that indeed it is Plan F. Okay, it’s fine. Everything is fine. Today isn’t the perfect day to do it seeing as how they’re just going to the Catalan Concert Hall and then shopping all afternoon, but surely he’ll find a nice moment to tell Louis that he wants to spend the rest of his life with him as his husband.

Harry is unprepared for the breathtaking sight of Palau de la Musica Catalana.

“Holy shit, Harry,” Louis whispers at his side.

“I know.”

They enter under inviting arches that lead into a concert hall that seats a few thousand people. A kaleidoscope of colors meets their eye in the stained glass, inverted dome skylight that depicts a choir singing around a brilliant sun. The entire hall is lit by natural light from this spectacular celebration of stained glass. Mosaic palm trees and half sculpture-half mosaic muses sit behind the stage. The tour guide gives them a taste of the acoustics, and Harry allows the enchantment of the place rush through him.

Louis snuggles in next to him, and Harry sighs at how lovely this trip has been so far. They have yet another delicious lunch with too much red wine and shop for gifts in Eixample. Harry tries on rings he can’t afford but dreams he could someday add them to his collection, and they wander through El Corte Ingles and find a lovely blue sweater for Louis that Harry can’t help but buy him. Harry has found himself buying nearly everything in a certain shade of blue. He smiles to himself as he pays for the sweater. He’s so gone for this boy.

They’re back at the hotel getting ready for dinner before Harry realizes he never put Plan F into action and a horrible feeling sinks into the pit of his stomach. How could he have just--forgotten? What the hell is wrong with him? Sure, they’d had a lovely day together, but how does one just _forget_ to propose?

Louis is in the shower as Harry paces the hotel room and then hears his phone buzz with a text. It’s Niall sending a photo of something he’s cooked on his own without Harry’s help, and it makes Harry smile for a moment before his panic returns. He’s on Skype before he can tell himself it’s a stupid idea.

“Hey, H! Whatcha Skyping me for when you’re on your big romantic engagement trip? Oh! Is that why? Are you gonna tell me how it went? Where’s Louis? LOUIS SHOW ME THE RI--”

“Niall!” Harry hisses. “I haven’t done it yet.”

“What? Oh. Why not? Isn’t tomorrow like your last day there or something?”

“Yes, and I don’t know why I haven’t done it yet. I’m freaking out, Niall! Why haven’t I done it yet?”

“Ohhhh, so this is one of _those_ phone calls. So you got cold feet or what? Not sure he’s the one?” Niall snorts as if this is an impossibility. “I thought you had like Plan C or D or whatever.”

“I’m already up to Plan F, and then I totally forgot today because we were having such a good time, and now I’m just ruining everything and I--”

“Calm down, H. You’re fine. Don’t worry so much. When the time’s right, you’ll do it. Even if it’s not in Barcelona. You and Lou are a weirdly perfect match in the most strangely complicated way. Literally no one else could get either of you the way you get each other. Two of the weirdest guys I’ve ever met.”

“Um, thank you? I guess.”

“You’re welcome. Are you calmer?”

“Yes. I guess I am.”

“Good. I’ve done my job then.”

Harry laughs. “You oddly enough have.”

“See ya, H. Go get your boy.”

“Thanks, Ni. I will.”

///

Harry watches Louis wake up, his long eyelashes fluttering across his cheeks before they open just a sliver and look into his eyes.

“Are you watching me sleep?”

“Maybe.”

“Creep.”

“Pretty much,” Harry laughs. “You like it.”

“I do,” Louis admits with a smile. “So Harry, what’s our last day in Barcelona have in store for us? Can’t believe you let me sleep in like this. How many things did you cram into the last day for us to do?”

“Nothing.” Harry grins.

“What?”

“I left this day completely open, so we could do whatever you want to do. We can go somewhere new or go back to somewhere you liked. Do nothing at all.” Harry shrugs.

“I love you.”

“I know,” Harry says smugly. He’s never in his life just _known_ that the person he was with was in love with him as much as he was in love with him back. Today is definitely the day. No matter what, he’s going to put that ring on Louis’ finger today. He doesn’t know if it’s Plan G or H or Z at this point, but none of that matters because he’s going to make sure today that Louis knows how very much Harry loves him. “So what do you want to do?”

Louis waggles his eyebrows. “I know _who_ I want to do.”

Harry hits him with a pillow. “I mean, yes. But also, are we going to do anything besides that?”

“I’ll think about it while we brush our teeth. I know how you like minty fresh kisses.”

“Eh,” Harry replies. “Maybe I can make an exception.”

He captures Louis lips with his own, and the ability to think flies off with the remainder of their clothing.

After they actually get out of bed, Louis finally decides what they’re going to do.

“I dunno, Hazza. I was thinking, what if we just wander about La Rambla again and go back to the market. You could get that juice you wanted. And then, we can go back to the fountain tonight. I just made sure the show was on tonight, and it is.”

“Sounds perfect.”

And it is. It’s a beautiful day, just the two of them strolling the streets of Barcelona, together and in love. Harry is pretty sure life doesn’t get much better than this.

When they arrive at the fountains, he laughs thinking of how he didn’t notice before how the show would draw a large crowd. They should definitely have realized before they had the wrong date. Throngs of people crowd around the basin as the entire enormous fountain lights up the night.

It’s truly a glorious sight. And then--the music begins. A very familiar tune comes through the speakers, and Harry can hardly believe his ears when the lyrics begin.

 

_Sweet disposition_

_Never too soon_

_Oh, reckless abandon_

_Like no one’s watching you_

_A moment, a love_

_A dream, aloud_

_A kiss, a cry_

 

“Louis, it’s our song.”

He turns to Louis, then, his hand closing around the ring in his pocket. When he looks, there is Louis on one knee beside him, looking up at him, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as he takes Harry’s hand in his.

“Hazza--Harry, I love you more than I could ever have dreamed when I walked into that library on my first day of work and saw the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen, frowning at me because I stole his pun.”

Harry honks out a laugh as tears stream down his face as he looks at the ring in Louis’ hand, one that he’d tried on yesterday.

“I love you more and more every day, and I never want to spend one day without you for the rest of our lives. Harry, will you marry me?”

“You stole my proposal,” Harry chokes out and pulls the ring from his pocket.

Louis’ face lights up at the sight of the ring. “So was that a yes?”

Harry drops to his knees and whispers yes against Louis’ lips as jets of water shoot into the Barcelona night lit by thousands of lights and playing their song.  


**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed the fic, please leave kudos or a comment! I really appreciate anyone who read this fic and wanted to read these characters again. I hope you enjoyed their happily ever after. <3 
> 
> If you'd like to reblog the fic post for me, [you can find that here!](http://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/179484288206/staring-across-barcelona-by-allwaswell16-e-7k) <3
> 
> Thanks to greatpemberly again! And a huge thanks to my beta taggiecb for all her help without which this would have ended up being an epilogue instead of a true sequel. lol. Thanks for always holding my hand. <3


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